Access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas in Burundi

Burundi: Access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas was 70.0% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
70.0%
Change on year
up 7.7%
World rank
202nd
of 212 countries
All-time high
70.0%
in 2024
All-time low
39.6%
in 2008
Years of data
27
1998–2024

Access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas in Burundi, 1998–2024

0204060801998201120241998: 60.6 % of urban population1999: 50.5 % of urban population2000: 49.6 % of urban population2001: 49.9 % of urban population2002: 50.2 % of urban population2003: 50.5 % of urban population2004: 50.8 % of urban population2005: 45 % of urban population2006: 51.5 % of urban population2007: 51.8 % of urban population2008: 39.6 % of urban population2009: 52.6 % of urban population2010: 49 % of urban population2011: 53.4 % of urban population2012: 58.5 % of urban population2013: 52.4 % of urban population2014: 52.1 % of urban population2015: 56.5 % of urban population2016: 57.6 % of urban population2017: 61.8 % of urban population2018: 59.8 % of urban population2019: 60.8 % of urban population2020: 60.5 % of urban population2021: 62.8 % of urban population2022: 64 % of urban population2023: 65 % of urban population2024: 70 % of urban population

Source: SDG 7.1.1 Electrification Dataset, World Bank, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of urban population.

Analysis

The most recent figure for access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas in Burundi is 70.0%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 27 years on record.

That represents a change of up 7.7% on the previous year and up 34.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas in Burundi peaked at 70.0% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 39.6%, in 2008.

That places Burundi 202nd out of 212 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 55.6% 50.5% 60.6% 2
2000s 49.1% 39.6% 52.6% 10
2010s 56.2% 49.0% 61.8% 10
2020s 64.5% 60.5% 70.0% 5

Countries ranked near Burundi

  1. 199 Somalia 73.4% compare
  2. 200 Congo 72.0% compare
  3. 201 Benin 71.6% compare
  4. 203 Niger 69.1% compare
  5. 204 Papua New Guinea 66.8% compare
  6. 205 Guinea-Bissau 65.6% compare

See the full ranking of 212 places →

More energy & mining data for Burundi

All data for Burundi →

Frequently asked questions

What is access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas in Burundi?
Access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas in Burundi was 70.0% in 2024, according to SDG 7.1.1 Electrification Dataset, World Bank, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas recorded in Burundi?
The highest recorded value was 70.0% in 2024.
What is the lowest access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas recorded in Burundi?
The lowest recorded value was 39.6% in 2008.
How does Burundi rank for access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas?
Burundi ranks 202nd out of 212 countries with data for 2024.
Is access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas rising or falling in Burundi?
Over the last ten years it is up 34.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Burundi data come from?
The figures come from SDG 7.1.1 Electrification Dataset, World Bank, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 27 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas
Unit
% of urban population
Source
SDG 7.1.1 Electrification Dataset, World Bank, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
212 places, 6,652 data points, 1990–2024
Last refreshed

The definition used in international statistics adopts a very low cutoff for what it means to ‘have access to electricity’. It is defined as having an electricity source that can provide very basic lighting, and charge a phone or power a radio for 4 hours per day.